While you may think that Christmas is the big day, tradition dictates that Three Kings' Day, or El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, is the biggest holiday in all the island. In Puerto Rico, the weeks leading up to Three King's Day are a joyous time of song and celebration. SAN JUAN, PR — All Post Offices in Puerto Rico including Vieques and Culebra will be closed on January 6th in observation of Three Kings Day. Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, is one of the most important holidays on the Puerto Rican calendar. The highlight of the event is the annual World Salsa Open, a no-holds-barred dance competition that would put Dancing With the Stars to shame in a heartbeat. Instead of hosting a party, however, whoever gets the figurine of baby Jesus will be in charge of paying t… It starts at Thanksgiving and runs until mid-January. Santiago, who recently moved from Puerto Rico to be with family in Florida, remembers when Three Kings Day in the island was the highlight of the holiday season. In Hartford’s Three Kings Day Parade, which takes place yearly in early January, the animals are camels. Children wait for the arrival of the Three Kings during the Puerto Rican Heritage Society?’s Three Kings Day celebration at San Fernando Hall, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. It gets busier that day than Christmas day, expect lots of traffic! While Puerto Ricans do celebrate Christmas, this event is not over even when the new year passes. Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm. Postal customers should expare advised to expect: Postal officials also provide the following update on postal services that are being provided in alternate locations across Puerto Rico: Effective immediately, the Aguada Post Office, serving ZIP Code 00602, resumes operations at 5 Avenue Ativo Alers. Known as Rosca de Reyes (King’s Cake), this holiday dessert is a symbolic pastry. Three Kings Day (Día de los Tres Reyes Magos) – 2021-01-06. SAN JUAN, PR — All Post Offices in Puerto Rico including Vieques and Culebra will be closed on January 6th in observation of Three Kings Day. Held at the Club Náutico in Miramar, San Juan. This includes customers with street delivery who have ‘left notices’ for mail pickup and post office box customers. Three Kings Day (Día De Los Tres Reyes Magos) on January 6th is a huge celebration here in Puerto Rico; even more so than Christmas Day for a lot of families.. That is the meaning behind all this and why we celebrate the holiday. Three Kings Day, or Epiphany or El Dia de los Reyes, is one of the most important holidays on the Puerto Rican calendar. Tickets and passes aren't cheap, so you better be serious about your art before signing up. If you're in town for one of these, be prepared for long nights, loud music, and the general cacophony of people having a good time. The actual day is Monday, Jan. 6. Puerto Rico's grandest food festival takes place in April each year. Three Kings’ Day, also known as Epiphany or Dia de los Reyes Magos, is a celebration of the three kings who brought gifts to Jesus when he was born. Three Kings Day, also known as El Dia de los Reyes in Spanish and Epiphany in other countries, is a long held Latin American tradition. There are also jazz workshops for serious musicians. Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings’ Day) is a fun holiday and one I plan to continue celebrating each year so my kids can create their own memories and embrace this Latino tradition. Locals and tourists alike descend on the island for the occasion, and the main draw are the vejigantes, which are costumed characters donning wildly vivid demon masks. That is because everyone is anxiously awaiting El Dia De Los Reyes . Why December is a Great Time to Visit Puerto Rico, Discover November in the Caribbean: Lower Prices and Balmy Weather, Major Festivals and Holidays in Puerto Rico, Tripsavvy uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Post office box customers using ZIP Code 00757 are directed to postal operations in Salinas at 1 Baldorioty Santa Isabel, right across the street from the Post Office, Customers with street delivery in ZIP Code 00757 continue to be directed to the mobile unit at the Coamo Post Office, 100 Calle A, for mail and package pickup. 1 of 9. Held in the third week of January, this festival is one enormous outdoor party, and one of the biggest celebrations in San Juan. The open-air Tito Puente amphitheater in San Juan's Hato Rey district is the ideal venue, and the four-day concert brings together contemporary Jazz masters. While it is a revered holiday throughout Puerto Rico, nobody does Three Kings Day quite like the small, southern town of Juana Diaz, whose Three Kings tour the island before making the voyage home. While Maestro Casals was not Puerto Rican, he moved to the island in 1957, organized the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, and began this annual tribute to classical music. Puerto Rico has an extra-long holiday season. The Three Kings: protagonists of Puerto Rico’s celebration What Santa Claus is to the U.S. mainland, the Three Kings are to Puerto Rico. After Santa has already visited and left gifts for children around the world, young kids in Spain are still anxiously awaiting the reyes magos to bring them their gifts on Three Kings' Day, or Día de los Reyes.Also referred to as the Feast of the Epiphany, this biblical holiday is celebrated each year on January 6 in Spain and many other Spanish-speaking countries. Celebrations which are held to commemorate the Wise Men (Reyes Magos) visiting the newborn Christ, include children stacking boxes of hay under their beds for the camels of the Wise Men to find. There will be no mail collection in Vieques, Culebra and Puerto Rico. Past Saborea! There is a mobile unit in front of the building for retail transactions like stamp sales, package acceptance and money orders. fests have brought chefs like Iron Chef Cat Cora, Anne Burrell, Claire Robinson, and Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres. The Three Kings Day is like Christmas, but the presents are for the children only. It is a public holiday in many countries and marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life, according to the Christian Bible. All Rights Reserved. During the week leading up to Ash Wednesday, Ponce celebrates Puerto Rico's version of Mardi Gras. The festival, held in late May-early June, was headlined by the legendary Arturo Sandoval. Traditionally, the island (and most of the Latin world) marked the eve of January 6, rather than December 25, as the day of exchanging gifts. Puerto Rico holidays 2022. In addition to gift-giving, there is also a culinary treat that is specific to the holiday. Labour laws in Puerto Rico state that employees should receive a paid day off for national holidays that apply to the public. They arrived several days after the birth, which is why it's celebrated in January. The Ponce Carnival is the most celebrated and colorful festival on the island. In addition, the following offices continue to provide local services at alternate locations: Customers of the Santa Isabel Post Office, serving ZIP Code 00757, see continued service through two alternate locations based on the type of mail delivery they receive: In all cases, customers are instructed to continue using their current address for uninterrupted service and are encouraged to bring identification for mail pickup. Many Christians around the world annually celebrate Epiphany on January 6. San Sebastián Street in Old San Juan gets absolutely stuffed with stalls, crowds, food, alcohol, music, arts and crafts shows, and general revelry. By using Tripsavvy, you accept our. TexPhoto / Getty Images. The San Juan International draws deep-sea fishing anglers and game fishing enthusiasts from around the globe. The camp runs on a weekly format during June and July and includes: One of the Caribbean's biggest Jazzfests, this annual festival is a Jazz lover's dream. Puerto Rican Traditions. Operations in St. John and St. Thomas are operating at full capacity on January 6. In the original Puerto Rican story, they were horses. In Puerto Rico, as in much of the Latin world, the Three Kings rule the Christmas season. Over the years, it has drawn some of the biggest names in the industry to Puerto Rico. It extends through Jan. 6—the 12th day of Christmas—which is known as El Día de Los Reyes or Three Kings Day. Just like in Mexico, in Spain people also eat a Rosca known as Roscón. Follow us on twitter.com/USPS and like us at facebook.com/USPS. The town of Juana Díaz boasts the original celebration, with biggest celebration on the island. At Epcot, the Three Kings Festival Marketplace offers three traditional food offerings and two beverage choices. San Juan International Billfish Tournament, Over 20 hours of instruction and water activities (kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding, and swimming). Accosta: The Christmas season in Puerto Rico starts after Thanksgiving and goes on through December 25th, Christmas Day and January 6th - Three king's Day, and usually after that as well. Held in June, it attracts local and international Salsaficionados, who come for the music, the dancers, and even to learn from seasoned instructors. But the BIG holiday is Three Kings Day. Traditionally, the island, and most of the Latin world, marked the eve of January 6 as the day to exchange presents rather than December 25. Three Kings Day. The day celebrates The Three Kings, Melchor, Baltazar and Gaspar who followed the Star of Bethlehem to visit the Baby Jesus to offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In Puerto Rico, as in much of the Latin world, the Three Kings rule the Christmas season.Puerto Ricans celebrate December 25, but the most important day … Three Kings Day is one of the most important holidays on the Puerto Rican calendar. Of course they enjoy Christmas and New Years but in Puerto Rico, the really big celebration is reserved for the Three Kings Festival on January 6. There will be no retail services in Vieques, Culebra and Puerto Rico. Zain Deane is the author of "Explorer's Guide San Juan, Vieques & Culebra: A Great Destination" and several other guidebooks for Puerto Rico. Jordiferrer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. The festival concludes on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday with the Entierro de la Sardina, or Burial of the Sardine. In Puerto Rico, Christmas is merely the midpoint of the holiday season. Summer Kite Expressions is Puerto Rico's only Kiteboarding Camp for teenagers. For more information about the Postal Service, go to usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts. Run by 15 Knots Kiteboarding, the camp introduces young people to the sport of kiteboarding. Postal customers should expare advised to expect: There will be no mail collection in Vieques, Culebra and Puerto Rico. Edited: 7 years ago The night before, children around Puerto Rico gather grass or hay in shoeboxes and place them under their beds for the Magi’s camels or horses in exchange for presents. On January 6th, Puerto Rico celebrates el Día de Reyes or Epiphany, a commemoration of the visit the Three Wise Men made after Jesus was born. It’s such an incredible and beautiful place that I hope you’ll get to visit too! Puerto Rico holidays 2021. Puerto Rico is also the perfect place to visit in winter to escape the cold, so get to planning. In Puerto Rico, as well as in other Latin American countries and Spain, January 6 is the Día de Reyes or Day of the Kings, a tradition which celebrates the Epiphany — the Three Kings or Wise Men visiting the new born baby Jesus. Three Kings celebration at Epcot, photo by Cristine Struble. No carrier or PO Box delivery service will be provided in Vieques, Culebra and Puerto Rico. As with festivities around the world, food is the centerpiece of Christmas in Puerto Rico. It's also one of the oldest, dating back to the 1700s. Postal officials add that the duration of this movement is not yet certain as long-term solutions for Cappara Heights services continue to be explored. It's a fun, raucous event marked by thumping bomba y plena music, massive crowds, and hordes of masked revelers. Copyright© 2020 USPS. It's a weekend of food tastings from chefs at the top of their game, plenty of rum from ​Rums of Puerto Rico, and generally a very fun experience for the foodie in all of us.​. All post offices, deliveries and collections resume on their regular schedules on Monday across the Caribbean. Once the parade is over, the kids will leave their shoes ready along with some water for the camels, and wake up the following morning with gifts. Three Kings Day, or El Dia de Reyes, remains an important holiday for Catholics. In addition to the sport, it focuses on interacting with nature in a responsible way, and of course, getting plenty of exercise. Puerto Rico celebrates all official U.S holidays, and a number of other official holidays … The same way we celebrate Christmas as the day Jesus was born, the Jan 6 is the Three Kings Day celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings, who came bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. It celebrates the gospel account relating to the visit of the three magi – or in this case kings – to the baby Jesus. You’ll have a blast. The Puerto Rico Salsa Congress is a weeklong celebration of everything in the world of Salsa. Across the Atlantic ocean, the celebration of the Three Kings’ Day is very similar. This is a nutty, mock funeral procession (complete with a dummy in a coffin) led by drag queens and fake mourners. For most people in Puerto Rico, preparations for Three Kings Day begin as soon as Christmas ends. Three day Puerto Rico road trip is just enough to see some of the major highlights the island has to offer. Three Kings Day — a major holiday in Puerto Rico — spotlights the "Three Kings of the Epiphany," the men who followed the star to … Traditionally, the island – and most of the Latin world – marked the eve of Jan. 6 as the time to exchange presents rather than Dec. 25, and children would gather grass, hay or straw in shoe boxes for the Magi’s horses or camels. This tremendously fun event brings internationally renowned chefs and TV personalities from around the world to "compete" with local culinary stars. Held in the San Juan Performing Arts Center, the festival takes place over several weeks. The night before, every city hosts a parade to welcome the Three Wise Men who have just arrived from the Far East. There is always a party somewhere in Puerto Rico, but here are the island's biggest bashes. History Of Three Kings Day. If an employee is required to work on a national holiday based on their job requirements, that employee is entitled to receive a premium wage for work performed on that day. Usually, the official Kings start a caravan around Puerto Rico on January 2, and end up in Juana Díaz on the night of January 5. When's the Best Time to Visit the U.S. Virgin Islands? This religious holiday is also an official holiday for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The food choices are shredded beef tamale with avocado crema and cilantro rice, roasted pork with mashed yucca and pickled green bananas and Three Kings bread. Three Kings’ Day is a celebration that takes place on January 6th every year. Día de los Reyes Magos (3 kings day) is a christmas holiday (people exchange gifts, parties) and it also marks the end of the Christmas season in Puerto Rico. January 05, 2018. By Daniel BeDell. Puerto Ricans celebrate December 25, but the most important day of the season falls on January 6. Few game-fishing events in the Caribbean carry the clout of this annual tournament, held each August/September. For Puerto Rico, the holiday has great cultural importance, given that in the past this was the main day of celebration during the festive period. Every year on Jan. 5, children in Puerto Rico collect grass and put it under their beds so that when the Three Kings visit the home … Also now in effect, customers of the Cappara Heights Station, serving ZIP Code 00968, are directed to the San Juan Main Office Window Service, at 585 FD Roosevelt. Here in Puerto Rico, Christmas is celebrated as a subdued and religious holiday. For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. The first event was when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant Jesus. Calendar of Events in Puerto Rico by Month, Everything You Need to Know About the Ponce Carnival in Puerto Rico, Your Trip to Puerto Rico: The Complete Guide, The Best Halloween Parties and Events in Puerto Rico, The Top 6 Annual July Events in Puerto Rico, How to Celebrate New Year's Eve in Puerto Rico, Explore San Juan and Beyond With This Puerto Rico Travel Guide. Known as El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day, this island tradition calls for children to gather grass and place it in a box at the foot of their beds so that the camels of the Three Kings will have something to eat when they come to visit. This homage to the cellist Pablo Casals is widely considered to be the premier classical music event in the Caribbean. The holidays are special wherever you go, but in Puerto Rico they love this time of year so much that they start celebrating on Thanksgiving and keep the party going through Three Kings Day on January 6th. 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